I send my fair share of introduction emails - usually solicited. And more and more find myself on the receiving end - often unsolicited. Doesn't really matter, I suppose. I genuinely enjoy getting connected with new people.
Given the volume of these emails I process, I've learned the finer points of responding and moving the conversation from email to phone. Here are examples of the wrong way and the right way to respond to an email intro.
The Wrong Way:
Nice to meet you Eric. I'd love to steal about 15 to 20 minutes of your time to get your thoughts on how blah blah blah
Let me know if something works for you. If it's convenient please feel free to grab a slot on my calendar here: http://tungle.me/sucks
I received this one a few days ago - not the worst reply in the world, but could be much better.* This person asked for the call...and then put the onus on me to schedule the call. Plus, the email doesn't really convey to me how this call is worth my time. Lastly, Tungle.me is massively annoying and off-putting.
After I received this email, I made a point to tell all of our sales guys that they should respond to email introductions the right way.
The Right Way:
Thanks for the intro, Bo. (Moved to bcc.)
Nice to meet you, Mark. Would love to line up a chat to get acquainted and to share what we're building at Argyle. In short - we do social media management with a focus on automation and conversion analytics. Definitely think that there are some ways to we can be helpful to each other.
Here are a few days times that work for a call:
- Mon May 23 - 2pm to 3:30pm EST
- Wed May 25 - 2pm to 6pm EST
- Thu May 26 - 11am to 2pm EST
Let me know what day/time works and I'll send over an invitation.
Re: KFBS - I graduated from the full-time program in May 2009. Based on your graduation year per LinkedIn, you might know my friend blah blah...
Hope to talk soon.
Eric
When I'm on the receiving end of a valuable email introduction, I do my best to close the phone call. I frame what Argyle is all about, sell the conversation, make it dead simple for the other person to make it happen (just tell me a time and I'll do the work), and - whenever possible - try to make a personal connection.
Seriously - don't be lazy. An email introduction can be solid gold. Put in the effort to close the deal. It pays off over time.
*I recognize that I might not be worth the effort of a more aggressive intro follow-up email. :)